


Ships That Pass In The Night

by airamcg



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Other, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Tags will be added as they become relevant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-16 02:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11244489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airamcg/pseuds/airamcg
Summary: "Ships That Pass In The Night" : Shipping characters who haven't really had much contact with each other in canon. (TV Tropes)[A collection of shippy one shots about rare pairs, crack ships, and the like.]PROMPTS:1. Bloopmethyst (Blue Pearl x Amethyst) - Showing her around town2. Bloopmethyst - Distracting each other during the Rebel meeting3. Yelparadscha (Yellow Pearl x Padparadscha) - They have history together, from way back when





	1. Something Like The Dust Which Constitutes My World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content Warning: implied/referenced Suicide Ideation**

“Where do you want to go first?” Pearl asks, staring down at the hands clasped between them, stubby purple fingers interlaced with her own spindly blue ones.

They are sitting inside a personal transport vehicle fit for two. Just for the two of them. The vehicle is currently on standby, awaiting coordinates.

“Hmm...” Amethyst hums thoughtfully, her other hand rubbing her chin as she mulls over her answer. “Where is your favorite place to hang out?”

“Favorite..?”

“Yeah. The place you like the most on this hunk-o’-rock.”

Pearl opens her mouth to protest that Homeworld is decidedly not a ‘hunk-o’-rock’, especially when compared to Amethyst’s home planet, but she opts to simply close her lips again. She wonders if these are truly her own thoughts, or if they are merely a product of deeply-ingrained Homeworld indoctrination bubbling to the surface. She places three fingers from her free hand over her lips, further sealing her mouth shut.

“Uhh... Bloop?” Amethyst squeezes her hand to get her attention. “Are you okay?”

Pearl nods, still not removing her fingers over her mouth.

“I’m sorry. Did my question upset you?”

Pearl shakes her head this time, her fingers drifting down to her chest, where her gem is.

“No,” she says, placing a hand on the vehicle’s console. “Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

She takes Amethyst to the roof of the topmost tower of what used to be Blue Diamond’s quarters.

“WHOAAA!” Amethyst cries, her eyes sparkling in excitement. “Wow, you can see all of Homeworld from here!”

“Not all, technically. Just most of the capital,” Pearl mutters, ducking her head so that her hair would hide her cheeks. “I know it’s not much...”

“What are you talking about? It’s beautiful up here!” Amethyst skips around Pearl to check out the view from different angles. She’s so much more graceful than most Quartzes. ”A bit dangerous though,” she adds, testing her footing on the roof’s curving slope that gives the tower’s top its spherical shape. She carefully treads to the edge to peer down. “Yep, very dangerous. Even a Diamond would shatter if they fell from this height.” Then she chuckles. “Don’t tell me that’s how you overthrew Big Blue D?”

Pearl chuckles too, shaking her head, her bangs swaying with the movement. “No. Nothing that simple.”

“Welp, I can see why you’d enjoy the view from up here,” says Amethyst, an easy smile on her face. She slowly circles back to where Pearl is standing. “But that’s not the real reason you like this place, is it?”

From under her bangs, Pearl’s eyes widen slightly.

“...how do you always do that?” she whispers.

“Do what?”

“How can you always see through me so perfectly?”

“I don’t know about ‘perfectly’.” Amethyst shrugs. “I just know you, Bloop. You _hate_ Homeworld.”

“I do.” Pearl steps closer to the edge. “That’s exactly why I like this place.”

A cold wind blows her bangs away from her face. If she looks down, she can see it all-- the spires and coliseums, the barracks and training grounds, the labs and factories...

Instead, she looks up.

The sky is black and devoid of stars from all the light pollution, but with cutting precision, she points to a galaxy neither of them can see, but know all too well of its existence.

“Earth,” Pearl breathes out, barely even a whisper.

She unclenches her hand, reaching as if she could grasp the distant planet a million light years away.

“You were yearning for her.”

It isn’t a question. But whether _she_ is someone in particular, or the planet itself, or what it represented... all that has been left unsaid.

“She gave me hope.” Pearl lowers her hand, and with it, her gaze. She leans forward. “And if I had lost that hope, I could just look down and...”

“Bloop!” Amethyst cries out, startling Pearl out of her thoughts. Amethyst grabs her hand, pulling her close and away from the edge. “I gotcha.”

Pearl blinks through the still damp bangs sticking to her face. It’s only then she realizes just how dangerously close she was from falling off the tower.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles into Amethyst’s hair.

“It’s okay,” Amethyst says, hands clutching desperately at Pearl’s face, thumbs brushing the wet space just under her eyes. “It’s okay, just... _Don’t scare me like that!”_

“I’m sorry,” she repeats, her hands running along Amethyst’s forearms up to her hands. She interlaces their fingers together and presses Amethyst’s palms further into her own cheeks. She closes her eyes and lets out a sigh from deep within her.

_Amethyst is so warm._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PROMPT: Bloopmethyst (Blue Pearl x Amethyst) - Showing her around town
> 
> Title came from [here](https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/the_feelings_we_all_must_endure_ch01#38).


	2. I Wanted A Better Name For This

Amethyst’s hands twist and wring the fashionably torn hem of her shirt. She’s never been to a war council before-- she wasn’t around the last time there was a war-- and yet here she is, sitting in a drab cavern in a long-abandoned Kindergarten, waiting for the first major meeting of the new rebellion to start.

And she’s very,  _ very  _ distracted.

To be fair, Bloop is very distracting.

Amethyst hasn’t noticed that before, though. Maybe it’s just one of those things, like the atmosphere of the war council charging the air with a different kind of energy. Maybe it’s the different way Bloop carries herself as she enters the makeshift meeting room with the dignity befitting a general. Or maybe it’s simply one of those things you don’t notice until your feelings for someone highlight everything to crystal clear sharpness.

_ ‘Oh frack! Oh frack! She’s sitting next to me!’  _ thinks Amethyst, panicked. Blushing furiously, she buries her face in her hands as Bloop pulls out the seat right next to her.

Bloop pauses. 

“Amethyst, are you all right?” Even without having to see it, Amethyst could feel Bloop’s gaze running up and down her form, studying her. 

“Y-yep! Totally fine!” Amethyst squeaks out, her voice muffled through her hands. A beat. A moment of awkward silence. She peeks through her fingers only to see Bloop still standing, still staring through her bangs. “...okay, so maybe I’m just a teensy little bit nervous?” Amethyst tries to smile. “It’s my first time.” 

“Oh,” says Bloop, finally sitting down. “Well, this will just be a quick briefing.”

Soon, all the other gems file into the room. Pearl (very fun, uptight, renegade,  _ Pearl  _ Pearl) stands at the head of the table, on Amethyst’s other side, and conducts the war council to begin. They have a lot to talk about, after all.

...Not that Amethyst can hear what everyone’s saying. All of her attention is focused on how her shoulder is almost but not quite brushing against Bloop’s, close enough to feel the subtle hum of her Gem song radiating off her skin. 

On the other hand, Bloop seems completely immersed in the meeting. She sits primly in her seat: back ramrod straight, shoulders thrown back, head held high and tilted slightly towards whoever’s speaking.

And then Amethyst feels her seat move.

Not by much, just barely a smidge. If it had been anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have felt it. But Amethyst has been hyper-aware of herself and one of her seatmates for a while now, and she can tell that the direction her seat moved was towards that aforementioned seatmate. Looking down at the space between them only further proved that: one of Bloop’s hands is curled under the base of Amethyst’s seat, tugging it closer to her own. 

_ ‘Oh, so that’s how we’re gonna play this, are we?’ _

Amethyst is hard pressed to keep the smirk off her face as she reaches under the table and starts toying with the sheer cloth of Bloop’s skirt. This earns her a startled, almost uncharacteristic glare from Bloop, only further accentuated by the dark splotches blooming on her cheeks. 

Bloop retaliates by grabbing Amethyst’s hand, their fingers interweaving on instinct. She keeps it pinned to the top of her thigh so that Amethyst would stop playing with her skirt. 

Unfortunately, it’s Bloop’s turn to speak in the meeting and she has to let Amethyst go. 

There she stands-- with the prim and proper posture of befitting a Pearl, but also with the bearing and air of a hardened political strategist. Amethyst is having difficulty following Bloop’s speech, especially since she hasn’t been listening to the meeting so far, but she tries her best and admits to herself that it’s very impressive. 

But then her hand moves without her realizing, back to curling its fingers around the soft sheer fabric. Amethyst didn’t mean to interrupt, she really didn’t, and yet she did. Bloop squeaks mid-word, halting her speech and covering her mouth and her blush with her hands. 

To the side, Pearl facepalms.

“Get a room!” Yellow Pearl laughs and rolls her eyes.

“Just fuse already!” 8XJ hoots.

“Ooookay,” Pearl interrupts any further cheering from the room. She turns to Amethyst and Bloop. “I think we’ve had enough flirting from the two of you.” 

“You noticed?” Amethyst asks.

“Well yes, obviously. Neither of you were particularly subtle or discreet about it.”

Amethyst stares at Pearl, then at the rest of the smiling faces in the room. 

Beside her, Bloop just chuckles.

They spend the remainder of the meeting seated on either side of Pearl, though. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PROMPT: Bloopmethyst - Distracting each other during the Rebel meeting


	3. Lost and Found

Pearl was a little hesitant around the Pearl who used to belong to Yellow Diamond. Unlike Blue, who Pearl had known millennia before and had reluctantly left behind on Homeworld—  _ "Go. You have your battle to fight, and I have mine," she had told Pearl _ — Yellow Pearl was very much younger and Pearl hadn’t had the chance to get to know her as well as she would like. 

As it was, Pearl couldn't be a hundred percent certain of her dedication to the cause. 

Oh she wanted to give Yellow the benefit of the doubt, she truly did. Every Gem on their side would be a huge help, and Yellow had been privy to many secrets within the Diamond Authority. It was just... well... just...

Yellow seemed to regard everything with a vague sense of condescension, as if she was better than anyone else.  _ That  _ rubbed Pearl the wrong way. 

Well, most of anything Yellow did seemed to rub Pearl the wrong way, especially because Yellow had been acting suspiciously ever since she had first stepped foot on Earth. She always seemed to be looking around, scrutinizing every little thing, asking about this and that. As if she was searching for something or someone important. Intel? Weaknesses? Key targets? Pearl didn't know. 

She eventually decided it probably wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on the other Pearl for a while.

(Or she could just ask, and see where they would get from there...)

"What are you looking for?" Pearl asked the other Pearl.

They were walking down the boardwalk then. Pearl was supposed to be showing Yellow around, but at the pace they were going, it was less ‘a leisurely stroll to take in the sights’, and more like ‘frantically striding from one place to another’. 

At Pearl’s question though, Yellow stopped in her tracks and turned around to face her.

"Not a ‘what'," she curtly replied. “'Who'.”

Pearl waited for her to go on, but it seemed Yellow was done speaking. Rolling her eyes, Pearl rephrased the question.  _ "Who  _ are you looking for, then?"

"Well...” Yellow started walking again, more slowly this time, her feet scuffing the sand. “I've heard rumours about a group of Gems who have stolen a ship to get off of Homeworld."

Again, Pearl waited. But again, Yellow didn't seem like she was going to continue until prompted. "And?"

Yellow irritably rolled her eyes, although her tone remained polite, if a little patronizing, as she said,  _ "And  _ I want to know if my friend was one of those Gems." The word  _ 'obviously' _ hung unspoken between them.

Well, it wasn't very obvious to Pearl. She still had her doubts about Yellow, and this mysterious ‘friend’ she claimed to have only piqued her investigative interests further. 

“Not every Gem who leaves Homeworld would make their way to Earth,” she started, probing Yellow’s body language for clues.  

“I know,” Yellow huffed in reply. 

“And even if she was in this planet, she may not necessarily be in this area.”

“I know...”

“There are a lot of places that aren’t accessible by warp pad, so it may take a while to--”

“I know already!” Yellow glared, frustratedly throwing her hands in the air. “I already know all of those things. Just get to your point, Pearl.”

Pearl stared at her, clearly unimpressed at the display. “I know every Gem who’ve made it here in the last couple years. If the Gem you’re looking for is here, well... Who are you looking for, specifically?”

Yellow looked away, her face unreadable. Slowly, she ground out, "A sapphire."

"...a Padparadscha Sapphire, perhaps?"

Yellow's eyes widened, and for the first time since Pearl had met her, she wore an expression that had no undercurrent of smugness or disdain. Just honest, frantic concern. She grabbed Pearl by the shoulders, words tumbling out in a rush: "She's  _ here?! _ Well, where is she? Is it far? Can I see her right now?"

Pearl relaxed, allowing herself a small smile. She knew that desperation. She had felt it herself, many times before. This was not something mistrustful or dangerous. This was just someone who had literally crossed galaxies in search of someone they cared about.

"I don’t know where she is specifically,” Pearl answered. “Her group decided to enjoy their freedom by exploring the Earth."

"Oh." Yellow let go of Pearl, deflating as her hands fell to her sides. "I... see."

"But don’t you worry. I have a general idea of where they are, at least. If you like, we could take the warp pad to—”

"Yes! Yes, please!"

* * *

 

Pearl was more than a little wary around the Pearl who used to be the Renegade. Well, to be fair, she still  _ was  _ the Renegade, with all those taut wiry muscles on her legs, her arms, all over her form-- so unlike the delicate standard fare of Pearls in Homeworld-- and with the way she still carried herself with the bearing and gait of a vigilant, hardened rebel. Pearl had only known about her through rumour and reputation and the occasional story from Blue, so she didn’t really know what to expect when she finally met this Gem of many legends...

She was much more intimidating in person. 

The Renegade had been giving Pearl scrutinizing looks since she had arrived on Earth, making Pearl nervous and jittery all over, despite being well aware that this would only make her seem even more suspicious. Ah, but she couldn’t help what she couldn’t help, and she hadn’t gone through hell and back making her way to this backwater ex-colony, only to back out of her objective right when she was so close to finding her...

“So,” chimed the Renegade, interrupting Pearl’s thoughts. “How did you meet Padparadscha?”

They were in some ancient battlefield strewn with giant red lumps of matter amassing from the undergrowth. Strawberries, the Renegade had called them; something called a ‘fruit’, which organics consumed for energy. The whole area was littered with them. 

As they trudged their way through, Pearl accidentally stepped on one, crushing it underfoot. Juices seeped in through her shoes, soaking her feet with the sticky, sickeningly sweet substance. Her face contorted in disgust. 

“You know how she’s defective, right?” she answered, shaking her feet to get the red stuff off, but to no avail. The Renegade watched her, eyes twinkling in amusement. 

“I think they prefer the term ‘off color’ but yes.”

“When she was presented before my Dia-- I mean, Yellow Diamond, well... It was pretty obvious that she was going to get shattered immediately.” Pausing, she looked the Renegade in the eye. “I had to do something.”

“You saved her,” said the Renegade. 

Pearl nodded, still staring at her red-soaked shoes.

“You helped her escape.” 

Pearl shrugged. 

“I couldn’t save every gem who comes into my D-- into Yellow Diamond’s presence. But during that cycle, I saw an opportunity and, well...” She shrugged again. 

“If you had been found out, that could’ve gotten you both shattered, or worse,” the Renegade said, a hint of awe in her voice. 

“I know.” Pearl sighed, finally giving up on getting the strawberry stuff off her feet. “Good thing we weren’t found out, huh?”

They eventually reached a clearing where a group of off-color Gems sat in a loose circle, laughing and chatting and eating the ‘fruits’. 

The large fusion spotted them first and announced to her companions: “We... have... company...” 

The red gem with two heads perked up and turned around. 

“It’s Pearl!” said the left head.

“She brought a friend,” said the right.

“Hey, Pearl,” greeted the pink one with large ear holes. “What brings you here?”

The Renegade opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted.

“You’re  _ Yellow Diamond’s _ Pearl,” blurted the two-gem fusion openly gaping at Pearl, all four eyes blinking owlishly.

Pearl crossed her arms over her chest, growling indignantly, “I don’t belong to  _ anyone. _ ” 

“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean it like--” The fusion blushed, her lower pair of hands flying over her mouth. One of her thicker hands rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Pearl wanted to glare at the fusion, wanted to rip her with a scathing remark; But all her annoyance at the faux pas evaporated as soon as she spotted the tiny Gem sitting a little ways away.

Padparadscha Sapphire was hugging a strawberry as big as her head, happily and messily munching on it. She hadn’t reacted to Pearl’s arrival yet, but that wasn’t too surprising. 

Pearl carefully stepped closer, kneeling in front of the happy little Gem. “Sapphire?”

Padparadscha stopped mid-bite, the fruit’s juices dripping from her chin and dribbling all over her front. She turned her head towards the general direction where Pearl and the Renegade had first arrived.

“Sapphire,” Pearl repeated. “It’s me.”

“Welcome, honoured Renegade!” Padparadscha chirped, smiling widely. “And, oh, you’ve brought a new friend...” she trailed off, her smile melting into surprise and recognition.  _ “Pearl?” _

“I missed you, Sapphire. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Is it really my Pearl from... the ‘court’...?”

Padparadscha stretched out a hesitant, sap-covered hand towards Pearl’s general direction, reaching, grasping for something solid and real to confirm her suspicions. Pearl gently guided it to her cheek, fingers lightly brushing against the gem. Tiny hands explored her face, smearing the sickeningly sweet juices all over her skin, but not once did Pearl complain, or even wrinkle her nose. Instead, she wore an easy smile as she waited for Padparadscha to arrive at a conclusion. 

“Oh, Pearl. My clever, kind-hearted Pearl. I missed you too,” Padparadscha whispered, moving closer until she was standing on Pearl’s lap. “See? I told you, didn’t I? I foresaw us meeting again!”

Pearl blushed at being addressed so highly, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she chuckled lightly. 

“That you did, Sapphire. That you did,” she said. She was still holding Padparadscha’s gemmed hand against her cheek, stretched taut from her too wide grin. She quickly wiped the happy tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “Can I, uh... This is a little embarrassing, but can I hug you?”

The wait for Padparadscha to catch up felt so brief, it didn’t feel like Pearl had to wait at all, before Padparadscha’s arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her close until their foreheads touched.

“I’m glad you’re safe too, my dearest Pearl.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to suggest a pairing+prompt, [check here to find out how](http://run-on-lightning.tumblr.com/tagged/request-guidelines).


End file.
